• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제23권2호
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• pp.101-110
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• 2019

Melatonin is a pineal hormone that is synthesized and released at night under the light and dark cycles of a day. Its effects on the reproductive activities have well been established by the administration through various routes in photoperiodic animals. It was also identified in plants and named phytomelatonin. The capacity of the phytomelatonin was investigated in this investigation whether it affects the reproductive function in male golden hamster. As expected, animals housed in long photoperiod (long photoperiod, LP>12.5 hours of lights in a day) had large testes and animals kept in short photoperiod ($$SP{\leq_-}12.5$$ hours of lights in a day) showed remarkably reduced testes. The dietary supplement with melatonin itself induced the complete involution of testes. Pistachios that were reported to contain a large amount of melatonin demonstrated no effects at all in male golden hamsters. These results suggest that dietary supplement containing melatonin-rich foodstuff used in this investigation may not be enough to affect the reproductive endocrine system in male golden hamsters.

• 대한임상검사과학회지
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• 제44권1호
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• pp.31-37
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• 2012

Many mammals in temperate zones are affected by the distinctive changes of the four seasons in these zones. Their reproductive status is active in the summer climate and inactive during severe winter weather. The golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) is seasonal breeding animal whose sexual activities are regulated by photoperoidism. The reproduction and metabolism are activated by long summer days (LD) and inhibited by short winter days (SD). After several months of SD, animals become refractory to this inhibitory photoperiod and spontaneously revert to LD-like physiology. The suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) house the primary circadian oscillator in mammals. Seasonal changes in the photic input to this structure control many annual physiological rhythms via SCN-regulated pineal melatonin secretion, which provides an internal endocrine signal representing photoperiod. The aim of this study was to assess the variation in the morphology of the testis in relation to the natural photoperiod in male golden hamsters. The hamsters were castrated at different weeks (2, 5, 8, and 15). The cell numbers of tubules with spermatogonia (SG), spermatocyte (SC), spermatids (ST), and spermatozoa (SZ) were recorded in each sample. The results showed that testicular regression of golden hamsters occurred in the SD-treated animals. The present investigation determines that the effects of the photoperiod on the reproduction of male golden hamsters. It was also found that the circadian period increases the rate of reproductive inhibition in animals exposed to inhibitory photoperiods.

• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제17권2호
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• pp.111-119
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• 2013

Golden hamsters reproduce in a limited time of a year. Their sexual activities are active in summer but inactive in winter during which day length does not exceed night time and environmental conditions are severe to them. The reproductive activities are determined by the length of light in a day (photoperiod). Melatonin is synthesized and secreted only at night time from the pineal gland. Duration of elevated melatonin is longer in winter than summer, resulting in gonadal regression. The present study aimed at the influences of continuous melatonin treatments impinging on the gonadal function in male golden hamsters. Animals received empty or melatonin-filled capsules for 10 weeks. They were divided into long photoperiod (LP) and short photoperiod (SP). All the animals maintained in LP (either empty or melatonin-filled capsules) showed large testes, implying that melatonin had no effects on testicular functions. Animals housed in SP displayed completely regressed testes. But animals kept in SP and implanted with melatonin capsules exhibited blockage of full regression by SP. These results suggest that constant release of melatonin prohibits the regressing influence of SP.

• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제16권1호
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• pp.1-8
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• 2012

The reproduction of animals is a way to maintain their species and demands a large amount of energy. The golden hamsters are seasonal breeders whose reproductive activities are regulated by photoperiod (length of day time in a day). The photic information received is transported to the pineal gland via many steps. Melatonin produced by the pineal gland affects the reproductive neuroendocrine system to manage reproductive activities. The major regulator neurons, secreting gonadotropin-releasing hormone, integrate all kinds of information to govern the reproductive frame hypothalamuspituitary-gonad axis. The elements impinging on the neurons are recently outspread. Thus the present review is to briefly survey the elements discovered newly and subjected to the active research realm and their correlations, focusing on the regulation of reproduction in mainly male golden hamsters as a representative animal.

• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제18권1호
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• pp.57-64
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• 2014

The flower buds of Syzygium aromaticum (clove) have been used as traditional medicine for the treatment of male sexual disorders in Asian countries. Recently, there are some reports about the effects of the clove on reproductive activities in mammals. Therefore, its effect on testicular function was examined in male golden hamsters whose reproductive activity is inhibited by photoperiod such as winter climate. The male animals were given by daily oral administrations (56 consecutive days) in three doses (4 mg, 20 mg, and 100 mg/kg BW) of the alcoholic extract of the clove. Generally lower dose (4 mg) of the extract continued to keep the reproductive activities of testes. The both middle and high doses (20 mg and 100 mg) of the extract completely inhibited the testicular activity in some animals. Taken together, these results suggest a possible biphasic action of alcoholic extract of Syzygium aromaticum flower bud on testicular function.

• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제21권2호
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• pp.215-221
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• 2017

Bitter melon (Momordica charantia, MC) has been used in traditional Korean medicine in treating diabetes. In addition, some reports were emerged, showing the antifertility activities of MC in mammals. We investigated the effects of ethanolic MC extract on the reproductive activity of golden hamsters whose spermatogenetic capacity is controlled by their photoperiods. The animals were divided into 4 groups: long photoperiod (LP) control, short photoperiod (SP) control, and LP animals treated with MC. The animals were orally ingested with low (0.03 g/kg) or high (0.15 g/kg) concentrations of the ethanolic extracts for 8 weeks on the daily basis. The control animals received the vehicle. The animals were then mated with age-matched females, experienced pregnancy. As results, the LP control animals showed active large testes but SP control animals displayed remarkably reduced testes. The animals treated with both concentrations of MC extracts demonstrated large testes, indicating fertile activity as animals in LP. LP control animals had litters as expected, but SP controls had no litters at all. MC extract showed the same results as LP animals in generating offsprings. These results suggest that the MC extract does not change the photoperiodic influence on reproductive activity of male golden hamsters.

• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제17권1호
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• pp.37-43
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• 2013

Cynomorium songaricum (CS) has been used in traditional Korean medicine in treating male impotence and sexual dysfunction. We investigated the effects of aqueous CS extract on the reproductive activity of golden hamsters whose spermatogenetic capacity is active in summer and inactive in winter. The animals were divided into 5 groups: long photoperiod (LP) control, short photoperiod (SP) control, and SP animals treated with low, middle, or high concentrations of CS. The animals were orally ingested with low (0.5 g/kg), middle (1.0 g/kg), or high (2.5 g/kg) concentrations of the aqueous extracts for 8 weeks on the daily basis. The control animals received the vehicle. As results, the LP control animals showed active testicular function but SP control animals displayed remarkably reduced testicular weights. The outcomes of the reproductive activity from low and middle concentrations of CS treatments were identical and marked as low dose. The consequences were a partial blocking of regressing activity by SP. On the other hand, the animals treated with high dose of CS extract showed remarkable significance in comparison to the SP control, indicative of a complete blocking effect of the CS on the regressing testes by SP. There were a dose-dependent effects of the CS on the sexual function. These results suggest that the CS extract promotes the male fertility by strengthening the spermatogenesis in the golden hamsters.

• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제24권4호
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• pp.263-275
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• 2020

The proper administration of melatonin has well been documented to induce testicular regression in seasonal breeding animals. The subcutaneous injections of melatonin in the afternoon, not in the morning, consistently occurred testicular involution in the male Syrian (golden) hamsters whose reproductive activity is regulated by the photoperiod. But the effects of daily melatonin via gavage have not been estimated. Golden hamsters housed in long photoperiod (LP) were divided into 5 groups: the control animals housed in LP or in short photoperiod (SP) and animals treated daily with low (15 ㎍), middle (150 ㎍), and high dosages (1,500 ㎍) of pure melatonin by using gavage in the evening for 8 weeks. As results, LP control animals had large testes and SP controls displayed small and entirely regressed testes. The animals treated with various dosages of melatonin showed collectively degenerating effects on the weights of testes, epididymides, and seminal vesicles in the middle and high dosage groups, with the individual differences as well. The high dosages induced testicular regression in more proportion than the middle dosages did. The low dosage had large testes like the LP control animals. The small and inactive testes shown in some animals of both middle and high groups presented the complete regression as those of the animals maintained in SP. These results strongly suggest that the administrations of melatonin lead to testicular involution in the male golden hamsters when it is administered through gavage.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• 제1권1호
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• pp.28-36
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• 2000

Effects of hesperetin and naringenin on the concentration of triacylglycerol in the serum and liver were studied in male golden hamster fed with the semipurified diet containing at 1% level of them for 3 weeks. The concentration of triacylglycerol in serum of the naringenin group decreased by 31%, whereas that in liver increased by 37% compared to the control group. The concentration of triacylglycerol in the serum and liver of the hesperetin group was slightly lower than the control group. The activity of microsomal phosphatidate phosphohydrolase in the liver, which is a key enzyme for biosynthesis of triacylglycerol, was significantly inhibited in the hesperetin group, whereas it was not affected in the naringenin group. The effect of hesperetin on phosphatidate phosphohydrolase was also measured in vitro. Hesperetin decreased the activity of phosphatidate phosphohydrolase with a dose-dependent manner. Both naringenin and hesperetin did not statistically affect the daily food consumption, body weight, liver weight, and total cholesterol in the serum. The observation accounts for the hypotriglyceridemic effect of hesperetin in the hyperlipidemic hamster.

• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제7권1호
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• pp.35-40
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• 2003

성선자극호르몬 분비호르몬은 시상하부에서 분비되며, 포유동물의 생식에 중추적인 역할을 담당한다. 골든 햄스터는 계절적으로 번식하는 포유동물이며, 생식 활동은 광주기(하루 중 낮의 길이)에 의해 결정된다. 장주기(12.5 시간 이상의 빛)는 생식 능력을 유지시키지만, 단주기(12시간 이하의 빛)는 생식 기능을 억제한다. 성선자극호르몬 분비호르몬과 광주기의 상호 관계를 자세히 조사하기 위하여 랫트 성선자극호르몬 분비호르몬 cDNA를 포함하는 벡터를 여러 농도로 골든 햄스터의 수컷에 주입하고 단주기에 유지하여 생식 활동을 개별적으로 조사하였다. 벡터를 고농도로 처리한 그룹의 골든 햄스터는 기타 실험 그룹에 비해 정소 퇴화가 의미있게(P<0.05) 가속되었다. GnRH의 맥동적 분비가 생식 능력을 유지하는 관점에서 보면, GnRH-cDNA를 포함하는 벡터는 GnRH를 일정하게 고농도로 분비했다고 사료된다. 이 결과는 GnRH를 포함하는 벡터가 뇌하수체 전엽을 desensitization시켜 정소 퇴화를 가속시켰음을 암시한다.